M's have the cash to throw at Millwood

By JON PAUL MOROSI, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Published 10:00 pm, Thursday, December 15, 2005

Even after Wednesday's signing of Carl Everett, Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi should have between $10 million and $12 million to spend on pitching this holiday season -- enough to present him with any number of possible additions.

None cheap, of course.

Industry officials said this week Seattle is still the favorite to land right-hander Kevin Millwood. At last week's winter meetings, two player agents said the Mariners offered Millwood a four-year deal worth $44 million. That would still fit into Seattle's budget for the coming year.

Yet, Millwood's agent, Scott Boras, has not publicly backed off his assertion that Millwood, who turns 31 on Christmas Eve, is "a five-year guy." Bill Bavasi, the Mariners general manager, said last week he would be reluctant to offer any pitcher a five-year deal.

Bavasi seems to have company. The Cleveland Indians, Millwood's most recent team, do not have the financial wherewithal to compete for him in the current market. The Washington Nationals, another interested club, would have to move significant contracts to clear room in their budget.

The Baltimore Orioles have money to spend, but are dealing with a more pressing internal matter -- Miguel Tejada's displeasure -- and are not interested in signing Millwood at the current market price.

The Mariners, then, may be able to wait their way to a major signing. Seattle may be able to sign Millwood and add a second pitcher, but only at a reduced price. One possibility is Sidney Ponson, the former Orioles right-hander who is serving a five-day sentence for driving while intoxicated.

Ponson pitched for Mariners manager Mike Hargrove in Baltimore, and the two have a good relationship. Hargrove called Ponson in October -- weeks after Ponson's arrest and subsequent termination by the Orioles -- to see how he was and say that his prayers were with him. "It was more of a friend thing, nothing in baseball terms," Hargrove said Thursday. "He sounded good."

The Mariners have had internal discussions about Ponson, according to one club source, but it is unclear whether they have formal interest in signing him.

"Sidney's going to be an asset to any club that picks him up," Hargrove said. "He has a long road ahead to re-establish himself, but Sidney has it in him. He's a good guy and a good competitor.

"The biggest thing with Sidney is that he's gotten older. He's a smart person. I like Sidney. He's got a lot to offer."

NEW PITCHER: The Mariners on Thursday announced a deal that was consummated at the close of last week's winter meetings. They purchased left-handed pitcher Luis Gonzalez from the Colorado Rockies for an undisclosed amount of cash.

The Rockies drafted Gonzalez in the major league phase of last week's Rule 5 draft, with the understanding that they would ship him to Seattle once the Mariners cleared space on their 40-man roster -- which they did by designating for assignment right-hander Cha Seung Baek.

The Mariners also announced that right-hander Jeff Harris had been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.

In a statement released by the team, Bavasi said he expects Gonzalez to "compete for a role as a left-hander" in the club's bullpen in 2006. His arrival represents a threat to Matt Thornton, a hard-throwing southpaw who is out of minor-league options. Thornton went 0-4 with a 5.21 ERA in 55 appearances last season and was offered in trade discussions last week.